Tear
by DraconisMuse
Summary: Based on a sentence from the '50 Sentences Challenge' in the 'Paths to Take' collection. During a battle with a fierce warlord and his army, Po and the others think about their wounded friend. Includes POVs from each of the main characters. Very light hint of Tigress/Po.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I still don't own Kung Fu Panda.

A/N: So, it's been like a year since I've posted anything. It wasn't even because I didn't have anything to post. I have a few things just waiting for me to edit and post. Between moving and other things...stuff just didn't get posted and I'm very sorry! I'm not going to promise I'll post a whole bunch of stuff, or how regularly I'll be able to update things, but I'm going to try. Anyways, this fic was originally meant to be a oneshot, but I felt like it was too long to post all at once. So I split it up into short chapters. It comes from chapter 5 of 'Paths to Take'. The sentence is number 40 of that chapter (which probably doesn't make sense if you haven't read that). You don't need to read that chapter to understand this though.

I'm going to stop boring you all now and just say thanks for stopping by to read! This chapter contains POVs from Po and Monkey.

* * *

" _There's nothing you could have done, Po_."

Viper's attempt to comfort him hadn't worked. Po knew she had just been trying to be nice, and trying to get him to stop blaming himself, but even the nicest words couldn't stop the guilt he felt. The most compassionate smile couldn't stop the panic. Only Tigress had that kind of calming effect on him.

But Tigress couldn't make him focus right now.

If she hadn't been watching his back during the fight than she would have been able to watch her own. If he hadn't needed her help than she wouldn't have rushed to him. If he hadn't distracted her than she would have noticed the buffalo in time.

 _'Nothing you could have done_.'

He didn't believe it for an instant. There must have been something he could have done. If their positions had been reversed, Tigress would have found something. But he wasn't Tigress, or Shifu, or one of the Five.

Now Tigress was hurt, laying amongst the debris of an abandoned building, and barely conscious. The remnants of Cai Quan's army were outside somewhere. The warlord wasn't going to give up anytime soon even though Po and the Five had taken half of his army out of the equation already. They were lying in wait now, re-gathering their forces and probably planning their next attack. Meanwhile Po and the others prepared to fight again while also trying to help the wounded feline master.

"Po..."

The panda forced himself to look away from Tigress and over at Monkey. Viper had already left to stand guard by the door, leaving the two of them to sit with Tigress. He'd almost forgotten Monkey was there with him though, and couldn't seem to find any words to reply with.

* * *

Monkey POV:

"We can't give up." The words reminded Monkey of something similar that he'd said once before. A time not too long ago when he and the others were chained, hanging from a boat, and had truly believed Po was dead. Hope had been almost nonexistent. He had known Po wouldn't want them to give up hope though, just like this time he knew Tigress wouldn't want any of them to give up on the battle just because she was wounded. She wouldn't tolerate it.

Tigress was always focused, always ready for a fight, and always determined to win. He had only seen her less so once or twice. The most noticeable had been the time on Shen's boat. When they'd lost Po. It would have been her giving the pep talk otherwise.

Now he was seeing the same despondent look on Po's face. The panda's attention was on Tigress, his worry and fear blatantly obvious. Monkey knew his friend wouldn't do well in a fight right now. Po had done a lot for them already though, so he couldn't hold it against him. Tai Lung, bandits, Shen, and more bandits. Po always came through for them. Even in the most unexpected ways and at unexpected times. The Dragon Warrior beat the odds.

Compared to Shen, Cai Quan and his army were nothing. They had numbers, and lots of weapons, but nothing else. Defeating the remaining army should be easy enough...

As long as they were all focused.

He was worried about Tigress, just as he had been saddened by what they'd thought was Po's death, but he also knew they had to keep going. Tigress was still alive at least. She wouldn't be if the warlord managed to get past their defenses though.

"She doesn't look good," Po said. Though it was mostly whispered, there was a tinge of panic in the panda's voice that didn't bode so well.

Monkey placed a paw on his friend's shoulder and forced himself to avoid looking at Tigress. He knew her injuries weren't just a few bruises and scrapes this time. Staring at her would only make him more worried though. And right now he had to be the panda's voice of reason since no one else was around to do it.

"She will be fine," he said. "Tigress is strong."

"Hardcore," Po whispered distractedly while staring at their friend again.

Monkey nodded, and patted the panda's shoulder. "We have to concentrate on getting out of here, so we can get her back to the Jade Palace."

"Yeah. You're right." There was a little more confidence in Po's voice, but he still didn't look away from Tigress. "We should...we should...make a plan."

Monkey looked over to the entrance where Viper was standing watch. "Crane and Mantis are scouting the area now," he told the panda. "We'll know more then."


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own KFP.

A/N: And here we have chapter two. This time it's Crane, Mantis, and Viper.

* * *

"Viper was right," Crane said as he flew over the tops of the trees. He flew high enough to stay out of the line of sight of the army and warlord hiding out in the forest. They had regrouped in a less dense section of the forest, and he could see just enough through the trees to tell that there weren't many left who were able to fight. "There aren't many left."

Mantis moved around on his back to get a better look. "Yep. Shouldn't be too hard to finish them off now."

It would be easier if Tigress was able to fight though.

Neither of them said it, but it hung in the air between them without needing voiced acknowledgement to know it was there. They were all worried about their friend and fellow member of the Five. Tigress had always seemed like a constant. A stoic, tough, always dependable warrior of justice. He'd gotten that impression the first time he'd met her all those years ago.

The thought of Tigress suddenly not being there to fight with them was odd. A little terrifying even. It wasn't like it was the first time she had been injured, but he'd never seen her _this_ injured before. The water buffalo hadn't held back when he'd slammed into her from behind. And that had only been the beginning. Crane had only caught glimpses of the fight that had ensued, but when the buffalo had suddenly grabbed a dagger from his belt and drew it down across the feline's chest he had decided he'd seen too much.

The scene kept replying itself in his mind. Over and over. Seeing a friend fall was never easy. He'd never gotten use to it, and knew he probably never would. Worrying about it wasn't going to help though. To help Tigress they needed to finish this fight, get rid of Cai Quan and his army so they couldn't hurt anyone else, and get her back to the palace.

Shouldn't be too hard...

He hoped at least.

"Hey, look...," Mantis suddenly said from his perch on Crane's back.

Crane glanced over his shoulder too see him pointing down at the ground with a pincer. He followed the line of sight and flew in a circle overhead to get a better look. In a matter of seconds he saw what the other master was referring too. Several of the buffalo were placing their weapons down while they rested or helped injured companions. Others were readjusting their sparse armor or sharpening their weapons.

"It won't be long before they attack again," Crane pointed out.

"We could make this fight go a whole lot quicker though," Mantis said. "Drop me off down there in that dense part of the forest. I can grab some of their weapons and be back before they even realize what they're missing."

Crane glanced at him doubtfully. "By yourself?"

"They won't even notice me!"

"If they did..." If they did, he could wind up like Tigress. Crane trailed off, but knew Mantis got the gist.

"I'll be fine. I've done it a hundred times," the smaller master replied.

Mantis had a point. It wouldn't be the first time they'd used such a tactic. It was only the memory of their battered friend lying unconscious that made him hesitate over the plan. He pushed all his concern and doubt away and instead headed for the dense section of forest. As he cautiously lowered them both towards the trees he glanced back at Mantis.

"Be careful," he warned.

Mantis jumped off his back and onto a nearby rock. "I'll be fine. Get on back to the others before you're seen."

Crane nodded and watched Mantis disappear through the undergrowth before taking off into the air again.

* * *

Mantis POV:

They'd made him mad now.

Mantis moved swiftly, and with stealth, through the forest towards Cai Quan's army encampment. He would have to move quickly, grab what weapons he could without being spotted, and then hightail it out of there. It sounded easy enough, but he knew from experience that the easiest of plans could crash and burn in an instant.

Like Tigress getting injured.

He pushed the thought away as far as he could, but the memory still lingered fresh in his mind. He'd seen the whole thing. From across the clearing he'd watched his fellow master block an arrow heading for Po, but a second later she'd tumbled to the ground with a buffalo on top of her. He'd been too busy to lend her a hand, just like the others had been. The buffalo had held her down for a few seconds before picking her up and throwing her against a tree. She'd fought back, but the blow to her head had left her disorientated for a split-second too long.

The water buffalo hadn't just attacked. He'd pulverized. The guy had some serious anger issues. Both had fought for the upper hand, but neither really got it. Mantis had tried to make his way over, but each time he'd thought he had a clear path another buffalo would jump in his way. So instead he had watched as his friend fell to her knees, blood matting her fur, while Po yelled her name.

Viper had managed to finally get close enough before the buffalo could do any more damage. The snake had wrapped herself around the buffalo's wrist until he'd dropped the knife. Tigress had then taken the opening to land a solid punch to his stomach and, even in her weakened state, it had been forceful enough to make her attacker double over. She'd kicked his legs out from under him next, leaving him to be finished off by Viper as she'd fallen the rest of the way to the ground.

She hadn't gotten back up.

The damage had been done. Tigress had lost consciousness. And even though they'd sent the remainder of the army running to regroup, it hadn't felt like much of a victory.

It was that tension and anger which drove Mantis forward now. He'd barely stopped since the initial fight had ended. He had checked Tigress over once they'd gotten to safety, but there hadn't been much any of them could do for her without supplies and while surrounded by a warlord's army. He'd volunteered to go with Crane just to have something to do, and so he wouldn't have to stand around while Tigress suffered.

As he reached the area where the buffalo army were preparing for another attack, Mantis once again tried to push all thoughts of his wounded friend to the back of his mind. He didn't have time to worry. Besides, Po was worrying enough for all of them.

Once focused again, he narrowed his eyes and took off. Darting from behind trees and bushes just long enough to whisk weapons away. He piled as many as he could possibly carry together before heading off back into the forest as fast as he could.

* * *

Viper POV:

Viper glanced behind her to check on Tigress again. Po was still knelt down beside her, Monkey looked between his two friends sadly, and Tigress was still unconscious. A shiver went down Viper's tail as she looked at the feline and the various injuries now scattered over her body. She remembered all too well what the wounds looked like up close.

The buffalo who had attacked Tigress had gone overboard when he'd had the chance. Fists had flown, feet had kicked, and then he'd pulled out that knife. The gash across her torso had been bad enough. The stab to the thigh had seemed unnecessary. Tigress had already been on the way down by that point. He'd had every reason to believe that Tigress was incapacitated, yet he had kept attacking. Viper felt as if that was a reflection of Cai Quan as well. The warlord wasn't one to back down, even after an opponent was defeated.

Just another reason why he had to be stopped.

Viper turned her attention away from her injured friend and focused on the tree line again. She had to stay vigilant. Chances were they would hear the next attack coming before the army was close enough to strike, but being caught unaware was never a good thing for a sound strategy. She also needed to keep an eye out for Crane and Mantis, and had to keep a watch for signs in case they ran into trouble. Knowing the two of them, it was entirely possible. They were almost as good at finding trouble as Po was.

Almost.

A flash of movement over the tree line drew her attention upwards. Sure enough, Crane landed gracefully in front of the doorway moments later. She smiled softly in greeting.

"Any change?" he asked.

She knew he was referring to Tigress, but before she could answer her smile faded upon noticing Mantis wasn't with him. "No change," she answered. "Where's Mantis?"

Crane gestured behind him with a wing. "He's confiscating some of their weapons. He should be back soon," he added. "We should definitely get ready. It won't be much longer before they'll attack again."

Viper nodded and glanced behind her again. Po looked slightly less terrified. Tigress looked the same. The sight saddened her again and she looked away just in time to see Mantis appear beside Crane. "Mantis!"

"Ugh, yeah. Give me a minute," he said.

He was breathing heavily, obviously from moving quickly over a relatively long distance, but what Viper also noticed was that he didn't have any weapons. Before she could question him about it, Crane beat her to it.

"Where are the weapons? Swords? Daggers? Arrows?" Crane asked, looking at their fellow master skeptically.

"Thought I was being followed," Mantis answered. He was still breathless, but not as much. "So I ditched them. I tossed them over that cliff, and into the rapids. We're good."

"Good job, Mantis," Viper said with a light smile. "At least now they won't have as many weapons."

The sound of several pairs of feet running through the trees caught all of their attention. Viper's eyes narrowed as a dull vibration hammered through the building from the force of the approaching army. A battle cry echoed around the clearing even before any of the buffalo could be seen.

"Well," Mantis began. "They're angry now."

Viper turned to look back into the building. "Po! Monkey! They're coming!"

The brief lull in the storm was officially over.

By the time Monkey and Po joined them outside, the battle had begun again.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Do I really have to say it again?

A/N: Back to Po this time. With a little snippet of Tigress POV at the end. Also, this chapter contains sentence #40 from the 'Paths to Take' chapter I mentioned at the beginning. Thanks to all of you who have taken the time to read, and thank you for the reviews as well! I hope you like what is to come.

* * *

Po performed a spin kick, knocking the buffalo he'd been fighting backwards and into another opponent. Both went tumbling to the ground in a heap of arms, legs, and tangled crossbows. He smirked half-heartedly at the sight and bounced on his feet as he turned to search for another attacking buffalo or Cai Quan himself.

He was just about to run and help Crane out when he spotted something that made his blood run cold. His eyes widened at the sight of a buffalo sneaking into the old building they'd taken refuge in.

Tigress was in there. Alone and injured.

With a surge of panic, and fear for his friend, Po started running after the buffalo. He bypassed the others still fighting and ignored the confused yelling of his name. He had to get to Tigress. It was the only thought in his head.

He finally caught up to the water buffalo who was sneaking cautiously towards the injured tiger master. Po barely stopped, barely hesitated, before launching towards the buffalo who seemed intent on insuring Tigress' death. It was over before it even begun. With the element of surprise on his side, Po was able to easily knock out Tigress' would-be attacker.

Just as the buffalo fell to the ground, however, Po noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. Turning quickly he saw Tigress shifting uncomfortably on the hard, cracked floor. "Tigress," he breathed out and his heart leapt into his throat. He looked over his shoulder towards the open doorway, briefly debating whether he should return to the fight right away. The pained yells from unfamiliar voices and triumphant cries from Mantis and Monkey told him the fight was going well though.

Without another second's hesitation he moved over to Tigress and knelt down next to her. "Tigress? Are you...Can you hear me?"

Po found himself holding his breath as the feline's eyelids slowly began to move upwards. It looked like it was a struggle, but Tigress...as she did when up against any challenge...prevailed. He smiled upon seeing her eyes staring up at him. They were distant, almost as if she didn't quite see him even, but it was a sign of life all the same.

Her eyes finally locked on him and she blinked slowly before speaking. "Po..."

"Yeah. Yeah, it's me, Tigress," he assured her. His hand found its way to hers without him even really thinking about it. He squeezed it tightly, hoping she would feel him and know she wasn't alone. "You're going to be okay."

Tigress looked passed him, her glazed stare locking onto something else. "No," she muttered hoarsely. Her voice cracked with the effort, and her whole body seemed to tense.

Po frowned as he looked down at her. His grip on her hand tightened a little more, mostly to comfort himself. "You will be! You're going to be okay!"

"No."

"Tigress?" Something was wrong. The feline looked...disturbed...as she stared upwards. Po followed her stare, but all he saw was the cracked ceiling.

Tigress' eyes began to drift closed even though she was obviously trying to fight to stay coherent. "Have to...have to get out..."

"We will," he assured her. "We just have to wait till the…uh..." He glanced briefly back towards the entrance and listened to the sounds of the fight outside. He didn't want to worry Tigress about the fight. She would probably try to get up and help if she thought they were in trouble, and that would only make her injuries worse. "Till...um...later."

"Po..."

There was something in her voice, something filled with pain and sadness, which made Po freeze. He swallowed thickly around the lump in his throat. His stomach churned as dread washed over him. He didn't want to look back at his friend. He didn't want to see Tigress in pain.

He couldn't just ignore her either though. He could never do that.

So Po summoned his courage and forced himself to turn to face her again. The sight he was met with was worse than he'd imaged upon hearing the sheer brokenness in her voice. Her face was tense with pain, her eyes locked on the ceiling even as her eyelids tried to close.

The fact that there was moisture gathering in her eyes told Po just how much pain Tigress was really in, yet as much as he wanted to take it all away he knew there was nothing he could do, and that fact made tears begin to sting the corners of his own eyes. He couldn't get her to the Palace with the warlord's army outside. He couldn't heal her injuries. There was nothing he could do for her, and that fact left him feeling helpless. Useless even.

"How pathetic," a voice behind him drawled.

Po jumped up and turned to find Cai Quan standing just behind him. He'd been so focused on Tigress that he hadn't noticed the warlord enter. "You!"

"The Dragon Warrior is distraught over his little friend," Cai continued with mock sadness. "How sad. Allow me to relieve you of such suffering," he added just seconds before raising his fist and preparing to strike.

Po stared unflinchingly as his anger steadily grew. As the fist flew towards him he didn't duck out of the way. Just seconds before Cai Quan's fist would have collided with his face, Po raised a paw and intercepted the punch. He held the warlord's fist firmly in place as the buffalo's face grew colder, his fury radiating off him in waves. Before he could yank his fist away, Po quickly repositioned his own hand so he was holding one of Cai's fingers with two of his own and his pinky extended. A flash of recognition crossed the warlord's face, and they both froze as Po held the Wuxi Finger Hold firmly in place.

Anger swelled inside of him again. The knowledge that Tigress still lay injured nearby made every muscle in his body freeze with the anger simmering.

This was the person responsible for Tigress' pain. For the suffering of hundreds of others. Cai Quan had lead his army from village to village, leaving destruction in his wake. He knew he couldn't help Tigress. Couldn't take her pain away. But he could do this. Po narrowed his eyes as he held the finger in a firm pinch. He met the warlord's eyes with a solemn seriousness and he knew Cai Quan understood what was about to happen. For the first time he saw fear in Cai's eyes.

Po didn't say a word. He flexed his pinky and a golden light spread out from where Cai Quan had once stood. "Skadoosh," he whispered in a half-hearted after thought.

As the dust and golden glow faded the outlines of four others appeared in the doorway. Po waved a hand in front of his face to clear the haze and slowly he could more easily tell the four masters in the doorway apart. Crane, Monkey, Mantis and Viper stood staring at the scene. For a moment he felt bad about what had just happened, but none of the others seemed to be looking at him accusingly.

"What was left of the army ran off," Crane told him. His eyes flickered around the room as if looking for any more threats. There were none though. The buffalo Po had followed inside was still unconscious.

"Is Tigress..." Monkey trailed off as he looked at the unmoving feline.

"I...I don't know," Po answered, turning to look back at their friend as well. Her eyes were barely open. Through a small slit he could see her dazed gaze staring upwards.

Viper slithered past him and paused for a second before moving closer to Tigress. She tilted her head before sighing softly. "We need to get her back to the Palace."

"I'll fly her back," Crane volunteered. "It'll be faster."

"I've never seen her look so..." Po trailed off as he knelt down beside his friend. He couldn't seem to summon the words to describe it.

Tigress was the toughest person he knew. He'd seen her hurt before, but never like this. Never to the point that the pain could make her react so visibly. Her pain seemed to go deep. Down to her very bones and soul and everything in-between. It scared him.

The tiger master groaned softly, a barely audible sound as her eyelids opened a fraction more. Po's eyes widened at the sound, but he was also just glad she was showing some sign of life again. His joy didn't last long though.

"Get...me...out," she murmured with obvious difficulty.

"We're going to. No worries," Mantis said as he and the others gathered around closer to better hear what she was saying. His confidence was forced though, and Po knew that if he could tell then the others did as well. "You'll be scaring bad guys again in no time," the small master added.

Tigress' eyes glazed over again. "No..."

"She keeps saying that," Po told him, trying and failing to keep the panic out of his voice. "It's like she...like she...doesn't believe she'll get better."

Viper placed her tail on his arm comfortingly. "Po..." She hesitated a moment as a saddened expression crossed her face. "This place. It was an orphanage. _The_ orphanage. As in...Tigress' orphanage."

Po's eyes widened again. He looked around, taking in the crumbling building as if for the first time. He couldn't believe he hadn't noticed it before. It was no wonder she wanted to leave so badly. Being here, while in her injured and disoriented state, couldn't be doing her any good.

"Crane!" he began.

"I'm on it," the bird replied quickly, already moving over to Tigress and gently scooping her up in his talons.

Viper moved back to give him more room. "Just..."

"I'll be careful," Crane assured her, and the rest of them.

Po watched helplessly as Crane lifted Tigress just enough off of the ground to fly. As he flew slowly towards the door, Po and the others followed. Once Crane ducked through the doorway he beat his wings faster, taking Tigress higher into the air. The rest of them stood at the entrance and watched as their two friends disappeared into the distance.

* * *

Tigress POV:

She was back. The place that she had been all too glad to get away from. The place that had been more like a prison than a home. Her orphanage.

It was just a place. She'd told herself that over and over in the past, but for some reason the sight of the building still left her with a churning stomach. As she stared up at the ceiling all she could focus on was the pain throbbing through her body and the memories associated with the orphanage. She remembered the loneliness. The rejection. The knowledge that no one would truly want her as a daughter.

She'd worked hard to overcome the self-doubt the place had infused her with. She'd fought her inner demons so she could move on and put this place behind her for good. Yet here she was again. Trapped, alone, and unable to move.

The physical pain she felt was immense. But it paled in comparison to the pain of realizing she might well die in the place she loathed the most. This wasn't where she wanted it all to end. Her story had begun within these walls. She didn't want it end here as well. Anywhere but here.

She could hear muffled voices, but couldn't decipher the words anymore. There were familiar presences nearby, but her mind wouldn't put names to them. They needed to stop talking and to listen instead. She needed them to understand that she couldn't die here.

She wanted the pain to stop, and she wasn't afraid of death, but this couldn't be where it ended. All her work, her training, her efforts to leave the orphanage behind...It couldn't have been destined to lead her back here. It just couldn't.

Her eyes slid shut as she felt the floor beneath her disappear. The sound of a steady, muffled beating met her ears. Was that her own heart? A cool wind blew across her face, stinging the corner of her eyes. Was this death? Was it death that held her so securely and carried her into the wind? Her final thought, as she lost the last lingering grip she had on reality, was that death hurt far more than she had expected.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I'm not saying it this time.

A/N: And here we have a little Mr. Ping and Shifu. Couldn't leave them out, now could I? Special thanks to everyone who has reviewed and added to alerts/favorites! I hope you like what's still to come!

* * *

He was so focused on delivering orders that it took a young rabbit jumping up and nearly tripping him before he noticed what several of his customers were murmuring about. Before he could apologize for nearly spilling the order of noodle soup on another customer, he spotted the Master flying overhead.

It was Master Crane. That much was obvious. What wasn't quite so clear was what...or maybe who...the Jade Palace master was carrying. For a moment Mr. Ping's heart nearly stopped as his eyes widened in fear. His first thought was of Po. What if his son was injured? What if he was hurt so badly he needed Master Crane to fly him back to the Palace as quickly as possible?

He knew Po had been on his way to stop a warlord that was on his way to the village. His son had rushed out of the village so quickly that he almost didn't even stop to say hello or goodbye. He had focused on cooking and serving his hungry customers in an attempt to ignore the fear that, as always, had crept over him.

Mr. Ping dropped the bowl of soup haphazardly onto the table, paying no attention to the startled cry of the boar as the soup splashed out of the bowl, and then scurried over to the entrance of his restaurant in an attempt to keep Master Crane in sight. He squinted in hopes of getting of better look.

Orange, he realized. Whatever the master was carrying so carefully was orange. His relief that it wasn't Po soon turned to guilt though, as he put the pieces together and realized who it really was. It had to be Master Tigress. The shape, size, and coloring was just right. He felt bad for being so thankful the person wasn't Po.

He knew how much Tigress meant to his son. She, along with the other warriors of the Jade Palace, were probably the closest friends Po had ever had. Master Tigress especially. He knew all too well how upset his son would be if anything happened to her.

He liked Tigress as well. She was always polite, and knowing she was around helped ease his fears of Po getting hurt. She'd once even gone so far as to promise him that she would do everything in her power to always make sure Po returned home safely.

What if she had done just that this time? And in doing so had gotten hurt herself. Mr. Ping swallowed around a lump in his throat as he watched Crane fly up to the Palace with Tigress. Once they were out of sight he turned back to his customers who were growing more agitated by the second. As he returned to the kitchen, however, his thoughts continued to circle around the possibly injured master and his own son.

"Where are you, Po?" he asked softly as he began to cut vegetables. Why wasn't his son with Crane and Tigress? How had Tigress gotten hurt and were the others alright? His gaze drifted to the Palace in the distance, and he couldn't help but wonder what was happening up there.

* * *

Shifu POV:

At first he thought the flapping was Zeng, but Shifu quickly noted the differences in the sound and realized it couldn't be the Palace servant. It sounded far more like Crane. His ear twitched at the sound just seconds before he opened his eyes and stood from where he had been seated to mediate.

He picked up his staff before turning and walking out of the Hall. As soon as he was outside his gaze locked onto the sight coming towards him. It was, as he'd expected, Crane. It was the motionless form his student carried which made him tense though.

He recognized her instantly. "Tigress?" he muttered quietly while trying to keep his reaction in check. As much as he tried to stay calm, he felt his inner balance begin to shake slightly. A moment later Crane carefully placed Tigress down before gracefully landing as well. "What happened?" Shifu demanded to know as he moved closer to the unconscious tiger master.

"She's been hurt pretty badly," Crane answered tiredly.

That much was obvious. It had been a long time since he had seen Tigress in such shape. He was relieved to find that she was, at least, still breathing. "Take her to the barracks," he instructed. "I will summon the healer."

Crane scooped his fellow master into his talons once more. "Yes, Master Shifu!" he promptly replied before taking off into the air once more.

Shifu watched for just a few seconds more before taking a calming breath and turning back to the Hall. Tigress would be fine, he told himself. She was strong. He had made sure of that.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: As I said before, I do not own Kung Fu Panda.

A/N: Ok, guys. This is the last chapter. It's short, but keep in mind that this was originally meant to be a brief oneshot. Thank you to all of you for reading and reviewing! I really appreciate it! I have more KFP written, it just needs to be either edited or needs a few finishing touches, so I'm sure I'll have more posted eventually. Until then...

* * *

Po carefully pushed open the door to Tigress' room enough that he could poke his head into the room. Tigress lay silently on her cot. Bandages were wrapped around her head and arm, and he knew there were others that were hidden beneath the blanket spread over her. Even though she was laying so still, and even though she was practically covered in bandages, she looked better than she had earlier.

His feet moved him into the room without him even really thinking about it. He stood watching her for a moment before sitting down on the floor near the side of the cot. There was no real reason for him to watch her so closely. He'd been assured over and over that she was going to be alright as long as she had time to recover. He just wanted to make sure though, and he didn't want her to be alone when she woke up if he could help it.

As he sat and watched her, Po couldn't help but remember the look on her face when they were in the orphanage. He'd felt the intense curiosity, the desperation, of needing to know who his real parents were and what had happened to them. That need to know had driven him into a fireworks factory, had gotten him shot with a canon, and led to him finding inner peace. He couldn't imagine not having a family at all though. He'd always had someone around who loved and cared for him. His dad had given him a family when his had been taken away. But Tigress had never even had that.

Instead she'd had an orphanage, and eventually a master.

So he couldn't really imagine what it had been like to find herself back in her old orphanage. Back in the place where she had least felt like she belonged. And being in pain at the same time...

Had she thought it would be her last sight?

A cold shiver went down his spine at the thought. It would have been like him dying in the destroyed panda village if the soothsayer hadn't been able to heal him. If he had thought that destruction would be his last sight, especially after discovering what had happened there, he probably would have panicked.

A small movement suddenly caught his attention. He froze and waited to see it again. Sure enough, Tigress' paw twitched. He released the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding as a smile formed on his face. He reached out and placed his paw over hers. She didn't react right away, but eventually her eyes opened.

Tigress blinked slowly as she fought off the remnants of sleep that were trying to tug her back into unconsciousness. She turned her head towards him and blinked again to clear her vision. "Po?"

"Yeah," he assured her. "It's me."

Her gaze flickered around the room for a moment before settling on him again. "We're at the Palace."

He nodded. "Yeah. Crane flew you back here," he answered. "You've been out for a few hours. We've been worried."

Worried was an understatement. Though he didn't show it much, Po knew that even Master Shifu had been concerned. They'd all been worried about her.

Tigress gave a light tilt of her head in acknowledgment. It wasn't much of a reaction, but he could tell she was relieved. Probably more relieved than he could even imagine.

"You had us pretty scared for a while," he said with a half-hearted chuckle.

Tigress remained silent for a moment as she stared blankly up at the ceiling. "So was I," she whispered.

It was spoken so softly that Po wasn't even sure he'd heard her correctly at first. Being scared seemed the exact opposite of who Tigress was. The thought of Tigress possibly being scared left him feeling unnerved. "You're...," he began. "You're going to be okay now though."

After a few seconds, as she fought to stay awake, Tigress spoke. "Yes," she replied softly. Her eyes slipped closed again, but Po could just make out a faint smile on her face. "I know."

* * *

A/N: What did you guys think? The end is a little abrupt, but I thought it fit the story. Thanks again for reading!


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